Midi Restaurant Debuts in San Francisco's "Mid-District"

Chef Michelle Mah Offers an Inspired Menu of Modern, California-influenced Brasserie Fare

SAN FRANCISCO (March 20, 2009) - Poised at the crossroads of San Francisco's shopping and financial districts, or "mid-district," midi is a modern California brasserie that offers hearty new interpretations of old world classics, as well as seasonal creations prepared by San Francisco Chronicle 2006 "Rising Star Chef" Michelle Mah. Opening today for lunch and dinner, midi is ideal for inspired lunches and heart-warming dinners, with its contemporary, energetic atmosphere invoking a neighborhood destination nestled in the city's professional center.

Mah's menu features updated adaptations of popular brasserie classics made with fresh, seasonal ingredients that are local, organic and sustainable whenever possible. In preparation for her first new restaurant launch as executive chef, Mah spent months researching and fine-tuning midi's menu, and drew upon new techniques learned while staging with fellow chefs in San Francisco.

"I'm really excited about the opportunity to come back to this style of cuisine. I enjoyed cooking Asian food at Ponzu but I think cooking food I haven't grown up with makes it more fun and challenging. This way I won't crave pâté or cheese when I'm not working, because I can snack on it all day long," said Mah, who previously resided at Ponzu restaurant before joining Joie de Vivre Restaurants to open midi.

Menu highlights include midi's dinner starters like Pan-fried Veal Sweetbreads with celery root puree, pancetta, royal trumpet mushrooms, celery leaf and shaved fennel salad ($15), and entrées such as Pan-fried Skate Wing with haricot vert, fried capers, brown butter lemon sauce ($25), or the Duck Leg Confit with baby artichokes, toybox carrots, pearl onions, fingerling potatoes, persillade ($24). Dessert lovers will adore a Goat Cheese Cheesecake with fresh raspberries and raspberry granite ($7), or a Mini Bittersweet Chocolate Pot de Crème with sea salt caramel sauce and whipped crème fraiche ($4).

Lunch items, which transcend the traditional formula of soups and sandwiches, encourage patrons to taste a variety of exciting flavors in a weekly-changing "midi quartet" ($19) - a sampling of four small courses designed to meet the demands of a quick business lunch. A possible quartet may include panko fried granny smith apples with goat cheese fondue, asparagus soup with meyer lemon and crème fraiche, and a roasted half Cornish game hen with mashed potatoes and morel mushrooms, with a dessert option of a trio of Madelines in flavors like brown butter vanilla, chocolate and orange blossom. A la carte lunch entrees are offered for guests looking for a single-item lunch meal.

midi's beverage program demonstrates that high quality and value are not mutually exclusive. California and European wines are featured, with a focus on single-vineyard labels, over half of which are priced under $50. More than 15 wines are offered by the glass, as well as by half-bottles. Eight craft beers are available (six California microbrews as well as two Belgian ales). The culinary-inspired cocktail list features a new spin on vintage cocktails like a Lavender 75 ($12) or a Fashionably Old ($8), as well as creative concoctions like the Joie de midi (bubbly, Absinthe, lime, $12) and the Dark and Foggy (an ode to the Bay Area's micro-climate made with dark and light rum, lime, ginger beer and house-made ginger syrup, $9). midi's beverages will be served alongside a bar menu of delicious classics such as a basket of Mini Three Cheese Gougères ($6), Chickpea Fries with persillade aioli ($8), and Country Chicken Terrine (mustard, pickled French breakfast radish, toasted baguette, $12).

The bi-level restaurant's design - conceived by renowned San Francisco-based designer Michael Guthrie (Myth, BIX, Tra Vigne) - is a dynamic study of intimacy and interaction. Contemporary features contrast with classic architectural elements from the building's original construction, fusing tradition with modernity. Wrought iron railings, beams and rich paneling frame bold artwork and highlight the colorful patterns of Paul Smith's haberdashery.

The 2,500-square-foot restaurant, adjacent to Joie de Vivre's Galleria Park Hotel, showcases an open kitchen, casual dining area, and full bar on the ground level. The upper floor serves as the main dining room with comfortable banquettes and tables, plus a dedicated private dining space for social engagements and corporate events.

midi is located at 185 Sutter Street (at Kearny), San Francisco, CA 94104. Reservations are available on www.midisanfrancisco.com, OpenTable.com or by phone at 415.835.6400.

The restaurant offers 98 seats; bar and cocktail area seat 22, with 76 seats in the dining room and the private dining area.

midi is open Monday through Saturday. Lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Dinner 5:30 to 9 p.m. Mon-Wed; served until 9:30 p.m. Thurs-Sat. Bar Menu 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mon-Wed, and until 12 a.m. (Thurs-Sat).

midi is a Joie de Vivre Restaurant. San Francisco-based Joie de Vivre (http://www.jdvhotels.com) is a collection of creative lifestyle businesses. Founded in 1987 by Chip Conley, Joie de Vivre manages nearly 40 boutique hotels, more than 20 restaurants and four spas, and is recognized for creating some of the most innovative hospitality services and products and designing one-of-a-kind properties. Joie de Vivre also manages residential projects with hotel-style services and amenities. As California's largest boutique hotel collection, Joie de Vivre Hotels is becoming the hotel brand synonymous with the California travel experience, offering a wide range of unique urban, suburban and waterfront boutique hotels that cater to leisure and business travelers in all market segments. Joie de Vivre hotels are located in San Francisco, Marin County, Silicon Valley, San Francisco East Bay, Big Sur, Sonoma County, Santa Cruz, Sacramento and Los Angeles. In 2009, Joie de Vivre continues its California expansion, with hotels opening in Huntington Beach, Long Beach, Laguna Beach, Venice Beach and Santa Clara.

Media Contact:
Lori Lincoln, Director of Public Relations, Joie de Vivre
T: 415.773.1067/ Email: llincoln@jdvhospitality.com